Review: Step Brothers

"Step Brothers" (IMDb listing) is a terrifically amusing movie, but it never reaches
pulse-quickening hilarity. It's a confusing misfire, considering this
is the new Will Ferrell film, reteaming with longtime collaborators
John C. Reilly and director Adam McKay, and plays with a story that
requires the star to act like a huffy child for 90 minutes. Seriously,
it's damn strange that "Brothers" isn't funnier.

When their parents (Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins) marry after
a whirlwind courtship, 40-year-old slackers Dale (John C. Reilly) and
Brennan (Will Ferrell) are forced to become step brothers. At first,
the men hate each other, irritated that their easygoing lives have
been disrupted by mandatory interaction. However, when Dale stands up
to Brennan's bullying younger brother Derek (Adam Scott, nailing his
antagonist role superbly), the men bond immediately, kicking off a
relationship that threatens to destroy the house and the newlywed
bliss contained within. Offered an ultimatum to either get jobs and
grow up or be thrown out, Dale and Brennan panic, fearful of adult
lives and the challenges they bring.

Surely "Step Brothers" was catnip to Ferrell and Reilly. Working off
their own story idea, the film is little more than a chance for the
actors to romp around like kids, exploring their childlike nature to
expected slapstick standards. Director/co-writer McKay need only turn
on the camera to capture this superficial examination of Peter Pan
syndrome, leaving the heavy lifting to the actors as they wrestle
around the frame, trying to outwit each other with improvisations.
It's a fetching package, as Ferrell and Reilly are sparkling jewels of
immaturity, attentive to every last moment of tantrums and resentment.

What's changed in this particular brew is the R-rating. For
"Anchorman" and "Talladega Nights," the productions were pinned down
by PG-13 limitations, forcing McKay and Ferrell to carefully work
around blunt obscenity to make their smuttier points. "Step Brothers"
heads in the opposite direction, indulging every possible pop of
profanity, even asking Jenkins and Steenburgen to cuss like sailors to
compete with the rest of the cast. Much like the upcoming "Pineapple
Express," the deluge of potty-mouth punches grows tiring and
ineffective in a hurry. It's hard not to sound like an old fuddy-duddy
here, but the actual act of swearing just isn't enough to extract
laughs.

"Step Brothers" is consumed with shock value, with Brennan forced to
lick dog feces or use his testicles to abuse Dale's prized drum set,
and it dilutes the viewing experience. McKay shows miserable judgment
and timing here, passing on the chance to erect a sublime domestic
disturbance comedy about maniacal grown children to dumb the material
down to toxic base sensibilities. Where's the fun in that? "Step
Brothers" is often lost at sea, paddling helplessly amongst its own
needless vulgarity. There's nothing wrong with stupid, as long as
there's a little more to the show than that.

Saving the film from McKay are the actors; while they're pitched at a
deafening level of infantile babbling, they really help "Step
Brothers" find something of a fruitful comedic bounce. Ferrell and
Reilly are a wonderful team, elated to be capturing the harmony of two
men who refuse to grow up. It's all "Star Wars" shirts, bunk beds,
Steven Seagal bonding, and whispered bedtime arguments for Dale and
Brennan, and the actors capture the impish spirit of being
nine-years-old and trapped in an aging body. The duo remains strong
here, even when they lay on the more exhaustive qualities of profane
behavior.

I certainly laughed while watching "Step Brothers," and to the less
sensitive (a.k.a. drunk, stoned), McKay's blunt execution will
probably find a perfect home. What nags at me is the plot and casting,
which form a perfect launching pad for something demented and
delirious to emerge, and while "Step Brothers" touches inspired
insanity intermittently, it never stays put, resulting in a picture of
pleasing bedlam, but never consistent bedlam.

\"Step Brothers\" (IMDb listing) is a terrifically amusing movie, but it never reaches\npulse-quickening hilarity. It's a confusing misfire, considering this\nis the new Will Ferrell film, reteaming with longtime collaborators\nJohn C. Reilly and director Adam McKay, and plays with a story that\nrequires the star to act like a huffy child for 90 minutes. Seriously,\nit's damn strange that \"Brothers\" isn't funnier.\n\n

\n\nWhen their parents (Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins) marry after\na whirlwind courtship, 40-year-old slackers Dale (John C. Reilly) and\nBrennan (Will Ferrell) are forced to become step brothers. At first,\nthe men hate each other, irritated that their easygoing lives have\nbeen disrupted by mandatory interaction. However, when Dale stands up\nto Brennan's bullying younger brother Derek (Adam Scott, nailing his\nantagonist role superbly), the men bond immediately, kicking off a\nrelationship that threatens to destroy the house and the newlywed\nbliss contained within. Offered an ultimatum to either get jobs and\ngrow up or be thrown out, Dale and Brennan panic, fearful of adult\nlives and the challenges they bring.\n\n

\n\nSurely \"Step Brothers\" was catnip to Ferrell and Reilly. Working off\ntheir own story idea, the film is little more than a chance for the\nactors to romp around like kids, exploring their childlike nature to\nexpected slapstick standards. Director/co-writer McKay need only turn\non the camera to capture this superficial examination of Peter Pan\nsyndrome, leaving the heavy lifting to the actors as they wrestle\naround the frame, trying to outwit each other with improvisations.\nIt's a fetching package, as Ferrell and Reilly are sparkling jewels of\nimmaturity, attentive to every last moment of tantrums and resentment.\n\n

\n\nWhat's changed in this particular brew is the R-rating. For\n\"Anchorman\" and \"Talladega Nights,\" the productions were pinned down\nby PG-13 limitations, forcing McKay and Ferrell to carefully work\naround blunt obscenity to make their smuttier points. \"Step Brothers\"\nheads in the opposite direction, indulging every possible pop of\nprofanity, even asking Jenkins and Steenburgen to cuss like sailors to\ncompete with the rest of the cast. Much like the upcoming \"Pineapple\nExpress,\" the deluge of potty-mouth punches grows tiring and\nineffective in a hurry. It's hard not to sound like an old fuddy-duddy\nhere, but the actual act of swearing just isn't enough to extract\nlaughs.\n\n

\n\n\"Step Brothers\" is consumed with shock value, with Brennan forced to\nlick dog feces or use his testicles to abuse Dale's prized drum set,\nand it dilutes the viewing experience. McKay shows miserable judgment\nand timing here, passing on the chance to erect a sublime domestic\ndisturbance comedy about maniacal grown children to dumb the material\ndown to toxic base sensibilities. Where's the fun in that? \"Step\nBrothers\" is often lost at sea, paddling helplessly amongst its own\nneedless vulgarity. There's nothing wrong with stupid, as long as\nthere's a little more to the show than that.\n\n

\n\nSaving the film from McKay are the actors; while they're pitched at a\ndeafening level of infantile babbling, they really help \"Step\nBrothers\" find something of a fruitful comedic bounce. Ferrell and\nReilly are a wonderful team, elated to be capturing the harmony of two\nmen who refuse to grow up. It's all \"Star Wars\" shirts, bunk beds,\nSteven Seagal bonding, and whispered bedtime arguments for Dale and\nBrennan, and the actors capture the impish spirit of being\nnine-years-old and trapped in an aging body. The duo remains strong\nhere, even when they lay on the more exhaustive qualities of profane\nbehavior.\n\n\n

\nI certainly laughed while watching \"Step Brothers,\" and to the less\nsensitive (a.k.a. drunk, stoned), McKay's blunt execution will\nprobably find a perfect home. What nags at me is the plot and casting,\nwhich form a perfect launching pad for something demented and\ndelirious to emerge, and while \"Step Brothers\" touches inspired\ninsanity intermittently, it never stays put, resulting in a picture of\npleasing bedlam, but never consistent bedlam.